Bloomfield Center revs up for the holidays with many attractions

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield Center Alliance will have a Holiday Pop-Up Space at 78 Washington St. for shoppers this Saturday, Dec. 9.
A pop-up is an unused retail space being used temporarily by an outside concern for any number of attractions. This past summer, the BCA used the same Washington Street space as an art gallery. This coming Saturday, as it was last Saturday, it will be used for free holiday gift wrapping and eggnog, cookies and hot cocoa, also free. Hats, gloves, scarves, socks and gifts for the needy are also being collected for distribution at the pop-up. Carolers will sing.

“People went to some of the local stores for gloves,” Ollyn Lettman, the alliance president, said earlier this week. “That was great to see.”
A fully decorated, 10-foot Douglas fir tree will be raffled off on Saturday at the pop-up. Fliers providing diners with discounts at selected restaurants will also be available there.

“The pop-up is another effort to get people down to the center,” Lettman said. “It’s a real good opportunity to have some fun in Bloomfield Center to make this community dynamic.”

During this season, the BCA is having its second Holiday Window Storefront Competition. Lettman said 14 stores have already signed up with the deadline Dec. 8. Judging begins Dec. 16. There will be a judges’ choice and a people’s choice. Voting for the people’s choice will be on Facebook. The current entries are located along Bloomfield and Glenwood avenues, and Washington Street. One entry is a gas station.

“Last year, the winners were Anthony’s Cheesecake and Gail Ann’s Unisex Salon,” Lettman said. “Pictures of all this year’s windows will be posted on Facebook by Dec. 13 and folks can vote for their favorites online to help determine our people’s-choice winner. We are excited to see who will win this year but more importantly we hope the window displays of the participating businesses will help raise the community’s interest in Bloomfield Center and encourage shoppers to visit us this holiday season.”

F0r Bloomfield College students, the center offers Getaway Wednesday. Students from the school will be given discounts at select restaurants
Another dining discount opportunity the BCA is encouraging a dinner/show package. On the day of the show, patrons attending a performance at the Van Fossen Theater, on the BC campus, can take their ticket stubs to select restaurants for a discount.